Honda CL360 custom by Aaron Elliott

Guy Bolton of Greasy Kulture magazine has just sent in this show-stopping Honda custom, which started life as a 1974 CL360. Builder Aaron Elliott bought it as a ‘shitbox’ from his local classifieds for $100. He’s primarily a car guy, and has worked with Cole Foster at the world-renowned US custom shop Salinas Boys for over a decade. But he couldn’t resist this cheap two-wheeled project, which he thought ‘might have potential’.

Those high pipes are recognisably from a CL360, albeit massaged and reshaped. But the engine is a kick-only CJ360 variant, which was mysteriously swapped for the original. The motor was left stock, but was polished … and then polished some more. “Pretty much the rest of the bike is handmade,” says Guy. “The frame was built by Aaron around the engine, and he hand-formed the seat/fender section—as well as the front fork ‘number plate’—out of aluminum.” The tank (painted by the legendary Bill Carter) and internal control bars were also hand-fabricated. The forks are off a Yamaha, (“I can’t remember which model” says Aaron) but have been painstakingly de-cluttered, with the removal of pinch bolts and anything else that detracted from the super-smooth lines.

The amount of fabrication on this bike is amazing, and its simple lines belie the hours that have gone into its creation. Yes, the bike is tiny, but you know what they say about small packages … [Thanks to Guy Bolton. Order your copy of Greasy Kulturehere. Images by Mark Kawakami.]